Chapter Ten- Begin Again

A week had passed and everything was perfect. I got off grounding early for good behaviour and had gone on a few more dates with Jason. Nothing really special like the first one, just a few movies and a deal meals at Chubbie's here and here. But everything was great in that department too. I had no complaints and I was really enjoying spending time with him. I had even made a new friend. Her name was Tasha and she was one of the sweetest girls I had met, besides my cousin of course. It was a complete accident too. We had science together, she didn't have a partner, our science experiment exploded all over me. We'd been friends ever since.

I made my way to school, a smile on my face and a belly full of pancakes. It was sunny but surprisingly not too hot. I got my things out of my locker and then made way to the cafeteria. I had already eaten my heart out but I was suddenly thirsty and wasn't about drink fountain water. The germs were enough to make me run the other way with a hanky over my mouth. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was most definitely not a germ freak but things like public fountains and touching old gum under a table, were a completely different story. I got in line and waited patiently. I had fifteen minutes to spare so I wasn't worried about the small wait. I was wearing a dark knew length, nice fitted skirt and a plain red blouse. Nothing fancy, but it still looked good while I remained comfortable, which is exactly what I liked to be. The feelings of hands sliding gently over my eyes made me bit my lip with a smile.

"Guess who?"

"Hmm," I thought for a minute playfully. "The other dashingly good looking lad I go out with?"

The hands fell from my face and I turned to a concerned looking Jason. "Other?"

I let out a giggle and took a step forward as the next person in line did as well. "Of course. I thought you knew about my slew of other guys." The look on his face was too cute. "I'm joking, you butthead."

It took a few seconds for it to click in but when it did, he slowly smirked. "You're funny." he said. I shrugged and then giggled again back at him in response. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to go out again tonight? I had something different in mind."

I gave him an odd look. Last time he had said something similar, it involved me sneaking around and lying to people I loved. I was up for it. "Sure."

Jason's eyes lit up a bit. "Okay. Meet me at Chubbie's at 6 and we'll go from there." he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as then happily took off from the cafeteria.

I rolled my eyes with a continuous grin. What a ham. It was finally my turn to order something from the lunch lady and I did. You'd think that it would be easier to get a drink from the vending machine, but most places didn't carry fresh orange juice in a can. I was sure that it was possible, but not where I was standing. I got my drink, paid the lady and then started on my way. As I was leaving, Topanga walked in and gave me a look that made my heart sink. I hadn't spoken to her since before the night of me and Jason's first date, so therefor, I hadn't explained not apologized for using her as a cover. Topanga's friends walked forward and she stood in front of me with her arms crossed. I gave her a half hearted smile. "I don't suppose that's a friendly gesture, huh?"

She continued to glare. "I hate lying, Sarah. But I still did. And you haven't even talked to me since it happened. You expect me to be okay with that?"

I frowned. "I'm sorry. I really am. Please don't be mad at me."

Topanga's glare faded a little bit but she made damn sure I knew she wasn't done being angry. And honestly, she had every right to be. I had been avoiding her since it happened but it was only because I hated when people I cared about were upset with me. Not to mention, I didn't exactly know how to explain that I used her for a cover so I could sneak around with an older boy. "So, mind telling me why I had to lie for you then?"

I took a deep breath and looked around. "Okay, fine. But you have to promise me you'll stop being mad at me." I said. Topanga sighed and we moved away from the doors and towards the cafeteria windows. "You know Eric, obviously, right?" I asked. Topanga furrowed her eyes a little but and nodded but stayed quiet. "Well, I've been seeing his best friend."

"You mean Jason?" She sounded more surprised then angry at that point. I wasn't sure how she didn't know considering we were together a lot between classes and during lunches most days, but then again at the same time, when you intended to avoid someone, that goes for every area.

I nodded. "Yes." I told her. "That night he asked me to go out knowing I was grounded and you know me, I like a challenge, so I accepted. I know it was wrong but I'm glad I did. He's really sweet and he knows how to make me laugh. And I just.." I rambled and then sighed. "I'm sorry."

The school bell rang startling us both. It was only the first bell so we had plenty of time but I also knew how she was about not wanting to be late. And on top of it, she hadn't even gotten food yet, which technically was my fault. I felt even worse but there wasn't much I could really do about it. Topanga let out a long breath and then quickly hugged me. "Don't let it happen again. I'll see you later, okay?" And at that, she was gone before I had even registered that she had forgiven me. Another reason I loved her so much, she didn't hold grudges and was understanding. I smiled to myself and was quickly on my way. It was a good start to a good day. So far.

Within a flash, the day was over and I was already home. I had it planned out. I was going to do an hour or so worth of homework, blah, shower and then look raivishig for my upcoming date. I did after all have to keep him wanting more and keep him interested. In truth, I was pretty boring but he didn't need to know that. I walked into my bedroom with a yawn and slung my backpack across the room, not really caring where it landed. I had to dig through more clothes for date material which I hardly had but I was sure I had something that would look decent. I was excited for whatever Jason could have had in store this time. One of the things I really liked about him was that he mixed it up and even if we just went for a simple burger, it was always different.

I threw shirts here and there as well as pants and skirts. I let out a sigh. There was no way I could keep upstaging myself but continue looking like I wasn't really trying. After covering my floor, I finally settled on a black pair of tights and a long sleeved green shirt that had a lacy back; simple, comfortable and cute. It was good enough for me. I slipped into the bathroom, changed quickly and then worked on my hair. It was so thin and hard to do anything with, I hated it more then I hated anything else on my body. I felt too lazy to take a shower after all so even though I was inches away from it, I decided against it. I wasn't stinky or anything so really why waste time when I didn't need to? I pulled it half way back, curled the ends and then went back into my room, letting out a shriek once I made it inside.

Standing in front of my window was Shawn. He looked awful. He was dirty, tired and by the looks of it, starving. I quickly shut my door and hurried over to him, glancing down out the window and back over at him. "Shawn, what are you doing here? Are you okay?"

He looked at me and shrugged. "I'm not sure what I am anymore." He ran his hand through his messy dark hair and his eyes were foggy with confusion and hurt. "I know we haven't talked and I was awful last week, but, I've had a real rough past few days.. And I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think it would be okay if I stayed here for a bit? I was staying with Cory but he can't hide me anymore. I don't know where else to go."

I blinked a few times and felt my heart drop a little. I had no idea what he had been through nor why he didn't want to go home but I was sure it was something serious. I gave him a half hearted smile and then hugged him. I couldn't see his face but I know it surprised him. He hesitantly hugged me back and after a few seconds, we broke away. "My Aunt won't like the idea of you, of all people, staying here but as long as your quiet and don't have a problem hiding when she comes in, then of course you can. What are friends for, right?"

Shawn's eyes lit up a bit. "Really? You'll help me, even after what happened at school?"

I then gave him a real smile. "Consider it water under the bridge."

"Sarah, are you okay?" My aunt's voice suddenly came. I gasped and Shawn immediately dropped to his belly and rolled under my bed. I cringed at the thought of what he had just rolled himself into but quickly had to forget about it as she barged into my room and nearly broke my door off of its hinges.

I gave her an odd look and pretended I was looking for something."What's up, Aunt Julie?"

She frowned and looked around. "Well, I heard you scream and just.."

I let out a fake laugh. "I stubbed my toe off of my dresser when I was trying to find my favourite earrings. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything." I then went back to pretending I was looking for them.

She let out a sigh. "Okay. If you're sure.." It was like she didn't believe me but really, she had good reason not to. I was hiding the one boy I was forbidden to be around under my bed. God only knows what would have happened to me if she found him. I shudder at that thought even now. She then noticed my outfit and gave me a strange look. "Going some where special?"

I shrugged and riffled through some random knickknacks on top of my dresser. "Just over to Chubbie's." I replied nonchalantly.

She nodded. "Okay sweetie, well, have fun and please be back before your curfew. You have homework I'm sure, so, you'll need to get that done before bedtime."

I rolled my eyes. "You forget that I'm not five anymore, aunt Julie. I know. Don't worry." I smiled at her.

She put her hand out slightly. "Okay, okay. Like I said, have fun." And at that, she left and shut the door behind her. I listened as she walked down the stairs and made sure she was gone completely out of hearing before I knelt down and found Shawn looking rather disgusted.

I let out a giggle. "I'm sorry. If I was expecting someone to vacate underneath my bed, I would have cleaned it."

Shawn looked around and flicked a pair of my underwear away from him. "Is it safe to come out?"

I nodded. "A lot safer then being under there, yes."

He let out a sigh of relief and then rolled out with a chuckle. "Maybe outside IS better," he teased.

"Well be my guest Mr. Hunter, no ones stopping you." I teased back. He gave me a cheeky grin and I looked down at his stomach as it made like it was a volcano ready to rupture.

His cheeks bruised red and he looked away embarrassed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

I giggled a bit. "It's okay. I'll be right back." Shawn looked at me questionably. "I'm going to raid my fridge and find you something to eat."

Shawn shook his head. "I'm fine, I swear. I've gone longer then this before. I'm used to it."

I shook my head at him. "Not when your under my roof you won't be."

Shawn gave me a look that made my heart sink a little bit more. Cory was his best friend, and besides by him, I was sure, he had never been cared for properly and felt what he was supposed to... which was safe. I gave him one last smile and then left to go and fulfill what I told him I would. I frowned when I opened my fridge. The only things that were in it that were already made up was left over spaghetti and wrapped up coffee cake; yuck. I shrugged, grabbed the spaghetti, stuck it in the microwave and then poured a glass of juice. My aunt Julie watched me suspiciously from the living room but said nothing as she pretended to read her book. Once it heated up, I grabbed it out, collected the necessities needed to eat it with, held the glass of juice firmly in the opposite hand and then bolted back up the stairs. When I entered my room however, Shawn was gone. I looked around. "Where did you go?" I whispered. To which he stumbled out of my closet, one of my skirts hanging from his shoulder with a sheepish grin. I snickered. "I don't think that colour suits you, Shawn."

He looked down and peeled it off of him. He held it up for a second. "You don't think so?"

I rolled my eyes with a grin. "Red is more your thing," He threw it back into the closet and silently closed it. I handed him the plate and drink and watched as he sat down and practically inhaled it. I felt really bad that I couldn't do more. I sat next to him and looked out the window. It was such a beautiful day, he didn't deserve to be hiding in a hot room. It was frustrating to me more then anything. He deserved so much more. When the plate and glass were empty, he wiped his mouth and handed them to me.

"Thank you," he quietly said.

I nodded. "Anytime." I stood up and his eyes followed me.

"So you got a hot date, huh?"

My cheeks reddened. I still wasn't used to the whole "date" talk, so to hear it in that kind of term was worth a blush. "I guess you could call it that."

Shawn infamously ran his hand through his hair again and then placed both of them on his knees with a small smack. He got up and looked out of my window and into the neighbourhood as I had done moments before. "Who's the lucky guy?"

I shrugged and followed him. "Eric's friend, Jason."

Shawn looked at me with a small scowl. "Why him? He's a womanizer. And not to mention a lot older then you."

I couldn't help but let out a giggle to his remark. "And what does this make you? Dating is about going out with a whole bunch of different people. You should know that. No harm, no foul, right?" I turned away from him. "Besides, a few years isn't a big deal. Anyways, I gotta get going or I'll be late. You're welcome to stay or follow. Do you want me to bring you back anything?" I asked. Shawn shook his head and didn't say another word. "Okay. I'll just bring you back something anyways." And before he could answer, I ran down the stairs, dropped the dishes off in the sink, slipped a pair of shoes on and was on my way.

"See you later, Aunt Julie!"

Chubbie's was a lot more crowded then usual, but it was becoming a familiar feeling and I loved it. Topanga was there with Cory and they ate a burger each and shared a small basket of fries. I happily walked over to them. "Hey guys,"

Topanga beamed up at me. "Hey Sarah, what brings you here? Come, sit down," she scooted over and Cory looked annoyed after waving at me with a mouth full of burger, due to Topanga inviting me into what I assumed was their date.

"That's alright, Pangers. I'm just meeting Jason here so I can't stay."

Cory looked around, swallowed what was left in his mouth and turned back to me. "I saw him here not to long ago. He was with Eric. I'd check around the pool table." He suggested.

I nodded and smiled at him. "Okay, cool. Thanks." I turned back to my little cousin who looked a little disappointed but other wise chipper like always. "Call me later, okay? Maybe tomorrow after school, if you're not busy, you and I can hang out."

"Sure! What time should I call?"

I thought for a minute. "Anywhere between nine and ten is fine. That way I can for sure be home to answer it," I explained with a hint of humour.

She smiled quickly. "Sounds good, cuz."

"Talk to you then, Pangers. Bye Cory." I waved and then was back on my way. I slinked past a few people and found myself surrounded by much older kids. I had to stand on my tiptoes to look over a few of them, but it wasn't that bothersome. It didn't take me very long to spot Eric and when I did, I stole him away from his buddies and brought him off to the side. "Sorry to bug you,"

Eric shook his head. "You're not bugging me, what's up?"

I looked around and suddenly felt like one of those clingy girlfriends that wouldn't even leave their guys alone to pee on their own. "Um, I was just curious to know if you've seen Jason. I was supposed to-"

"Oh, yeah. He left about ten minutes ago with some girl named Molly from our history class." He interrupted.

My heart froze and my throat formed a lump that I was afraid I was going to choke on. "Um.. oh. I thought he was supposed to meet me here. My mistake." I wanted to cry out of nowhere and I wasn't sure why. I really did like him but maybe Shawn was right. Maybe Jason really was a womanizer and I just so happened to have gotten sucked into his game. I turned around and went to run off but Eric's grip quickly stopped me.

"You don't have to leave because of him. I can buy you dinner if you want, maybe teach you how to play pool," he offered.

My heart unfroze and felt heavy. I was silently dumped and now his best friend felt bad and was trying to buy me a sympathy meal, cause that didn't make it worse or anything. I knew his intentions were good, but his timing and reasoning sucked. I pulled my arm away from him.

"Thanks, Eric. Maybe another time."

I then took off running out of Chubbie's and didn't stop until I reached my front door. There was no way in hell anyone was about to see any of the hurt emotion that seethed through my body. I was too proud for it and damn it, I had to keep some of my dignity somehow. He of all people wouldn't win that from me. Not then, not ever.